1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trigger circuit and an operating circuit formed into a unit for transmitting a trigger electric signal in synchronization with the timing of signals of medium or low frequency sounds such as a drum or vocal which constitute the main portion of played or broadcasted music and which are selected from the overall frequency components included in the music so as to operate a light emitting member such as LEDs or a motor for use in a personal ornament or a toy in synchronization with the above-mentioned music.
2. Related Art
Hitherto, an apparatus for switching on/off a switch such as a power supply switch or an apparatus for flashing light emitting devices such as lights have been known.
The conventional apparatuses so arranged to be operated in response to music are classified into two types depending upon their way of operations to be performed in response to the sound. One of the two types has an arrangement made that an operation for actuating light emitting members such as LEDs or motors is caused to be performed in response to switching on/off signals electrically generated in accordance with information about a fact whether or not sound of music is present or a fact whether or not sound having a level higher than a predetermined level is present. When the aforesaid operation has been commenced, the light flashing operation or the like is simply performed in a predetermined time in accordance with a specific period given to an operating circuit for actuating light emitting members or the like regardless of the presence of the sound or the like. The above-mentioned type is called a "response type" hereinafter.
Another type is so arranged that the progress of operation is not given any specific period but the operation of the operating circuit for actuating a light emitting members or the like is performed at the timing of the supplied switching on/off signals electrically generated in accordance with change in information about sound such as music. That is, the aforesaid type is so arranged to be operated in real time in accordance with the change in the sound, namely, it is operated in synchronization with the change in the sound in a way called a "synchronization type" hereinafter.
A variety of apparatuses of the type classified into the aforesaid two types have been supplied to the market while being varied in terms of the structure arranged from a simple structure to a complicated structure to meet the purpose of the use, desired function or the cost. For example, in a karaoke playing room or a discotheque, the atmosphere is enlived or a visual effect is staged by using the aforesaid synchronization type or the response type apparatus so as to flash lights or rotate the motor for rotary lights. As a result, light beams emitted and/or rotated together with the music is used to audibly or visually appeal to human beings.
In order to enchant or excite a user of a toy or to differentiate the competitive products, many products each of which is arranged to generate sound or include light emitting devices have been put on the market. Therefore, a simple apparatus of the response type so arranged that light response to sound of music or the like has been used.
A personal ornament such as a badge arranged in such a manner that an LED is simply flashed by switching off a switch has been known. However, a product having an arrangement made that the light emitting member such as an LED is actuated in response to the sound of music has not been put into practical use because the space required to accommodate a circuit has not been kept in both of the synchronization type and the response type.
Then, the aforesaid response type apparatus and the synchronization type apparatus will now be described.
FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram which illustrates an example of the conventional response-type apparatus so arranged that a light emitting member such as an LED or a motor is operated in response to the sound of music. Referring to FIG. 13, reference numeral 41 represents a pickup circuit having a microphone MC, 42 represents an amplifier circuit, 43 represents a wave detecting circuit, 44 represents a time constant circuit, 45 represents an output circuit, 46 represents a constant time holding circuit, 47 represents a power supply such as a battery connected to each of circuit blocks so as to supply electricity to the same. Reference numeral 48 represents a device to be operated which is a motor according to this example. Referring to FIG. 13, symbol Sud represents the sound of music surrounding the microphone Mc, range S surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line is a block for processing signals, and range T surrounded by a dashed line is a timing generating block. Symbol OUT represents a signal output point and SW represents a power supply switch.
In the apparatus shown in FIG. 13, when the surrounding sound of music is transmitted to the pickup circuit 41 having the microphone Mc, the sound is converted into a weak electric signal (hereinafter called a "weak signal"), the weak signal being then supplied to the ensuing amplifier circuit 42. The amplifier circuit 42 so suitably amplifies the supplied signal to make a music signal which is then supplied to the ensuing wave detecting circuit 43. The wave detecting circuit 43 detects the wave of the music signal so as to convert it into a DC electric signal which is a signal to be supplied to the ensuing time constant circuit 44. The time constant circuit 44 is an integrating type time constant circuit composed of a capacitor and a resistor which is used mainly and arranged to integrate the supplied electric signal so as to convert it into a DC voltage level in order to supply it to the output circuit 45.
The aforesaid DC voltage level is made to be a level whereby the output circuit 45 can be actuated if there is the music signal, causing a turning-on signal (hereinafter called an "ON signal") for actuating the device 48 to be operated is transmitted to the signal output point OUT. If there is not music signal, a turned-off state where no turning-on signal is transmitted is realized.
In the apparatus shown in FIG. 13, the integration time in the time constant circuit 44 must be lengthened sufficiently with respect to the lowest frequency of the supplied music in order to cause the ON signal to be assuredly obtained at the signal output point OUT. The reason for this lies in that, if the aforesaid integration time is shorter than one period of the lowest frequency, the change in the amplitude of the frequency is substantially directly transmitted as the output from the time constant circuit 44 to the signal output circuit 45 and therefore an unstable ON signal is transmitted to the signal output point OUT. If the integration time is too long, a defective integration of solely generated short sound takes place and therefore the level of the output DC voltage from the time constant circuit 44 becomes lowered. As a result, a problem of an insensitive state taken place in which no ON signal is transmitted to the signal output point OUT.
Accordingly, the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 13 is so arranged that a portion of the output from the output circuit 45 is caused to be supplied to the constant time holding circuit 46 and as well as the aforesaid short integration time is set to the time constant circuit 44. As a result, if an unstable signal to be transmitted to the signal output point OUT is present, the constant time holding circuit 46 transmits voltage, with which the ON signal to be transmitted to the signal output point OUT can be forcibly made to be reliable, to the time constant circuit 44 and the amplifier circuit 42 in order to prevent the aforesaid insensitive state.
The conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 13 is sometimes actually arranged to have a circuit constituted in such a manner that the characteristics of a semiconductor such as a transistor for use in the amplifier circuit 42 are used to simultaneously perform the amplifying operation and the wave detecting operation which is arranged to be performed by the wave detecting circuit 43 included in the functional block shown in FIG. 13. Furthermore, a capacitor for use in the time constant circuit 44 and that for use in the constant time holding circuit 46 are replaced by a common capacitor. In addition, the integrating resistor or the like for use in the time constant circuit 44 is substituted by a conducting resistance included by the semiconductor such as a transistor. As a result, the number of the devices required to constitute the wave detecting circuit 43 and the time constant circuit 44 is decreased in order to, for example, balance the function with the cost in a case where the apparatus is used in a low cost product such as a toy.
However, the presence of the aforesaid constant time holding circuit 46 will cause the ON signal to be transmitted to the signal output point OUT during the operation of the constant time holding circuit 46 regardless of the timing of punctuating sound (for example, sound expressing the tempo of music created by a rhythm instrument) which is audible for a human being and which is included by the music if the punctuating sound is included by the sound components of the supplied music. The reason for this will now be described. Even if the holding operation of the constant time holding circuit 46 is completed after a predetermined time has passed, the probability that the completion timing and the aforesaid punctuating sound align to each other is low. The following operations are repeated: the output from the wave detecting circuit 43 applied to the time constant circuit 44 at the completion timing causes the ON signal to be transmitted to the-signal output point OUT and the constant time holding circuit 46 is again operated.
As a result, the operation of the device to be operated by the above-mentioned apparatus, that is, the rotation of the motor or the flashing of the light emitting member such as an LED is performed substantially discontinuously. Therefore, a problem arises in that the aforesaid operation of the motor or the light emitting member cannot coincide with the sound of music while realizing a state of the rotation or the flashing without variety.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned problem, the conventional apparatus has been arranged to have, for example, a means for converting the rotation of the rotational shaft of the motor or the like into a complicated motion by using mechanical elements such as gears and/or cams so as to complement the aforesaid unsatisfactory operation. However, the operation thus arranged is actually a simple false operation realized by utilizing the optical illusion so as to cause the person to feel that the operation coincides with the sound of music. On the contrary, another problem arises in that the number of the aforesaid mechanical elements increases and the structure becomes complicated. This problem also arises if the device to be operated is substituted from the motor or the like to a solenoid or the like.
In order to overcome the problem taken place in that information obtainable from the auditory sense and information obtainable from the visual sense cannot be matched to each other, there is an apparatus to which another circuit is added in the rear portion thereof so as to make the state of flashing of a plurality of light emitting devices such as LEDs to be seen as if random flashing is being performed. That is, the optical illusion is utilized so as to cause a person to feel that the synchronization type operation is being performed.
FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram which illustrates another example of a conventional apparatus which is an improvement in the aforesaid basic conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 13. Referring to FIG. 14, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 13 represent the same functional blocks. Referring to FIG. 14, reference numeral 49 represents an output operation pattern generating circuit (hereinafter abbreviated to a "pattern circuit") having a plurality of output circuits, and 50a to 50n represent oscillating circuits (hereinafter abbreviated to "OSC") each having a specific frequency transmitting function. Symbols A to N respectively represent the specific output frequencies. Reference numerals 48a to 48h represent devices to be operated and are light emitting members such as LEDs in the structure shown in FIG. 14. Range P surrounded by an alternate long and two short dashes line is a range for a pattern generating block. Symbols OUTa to OUTn represent signal output points through which outputs from a plurality of output circuits included in the pattern circuit 49 are transmitted. As shown in FIG. 14, the pattern generating block P is connected to the portion next to the signal output point OUT of the aforesaid conventional circuit shown in FIG. 13. Therefore, the pattern generating block P will now be described.
The pattern circuit 49 is composed of a logic IC or the like comprising a counter, a shift register, a decoder and the like. The term "pattern" used hereinbefore is collectively meant a difference between bit outputs which is, in a case of the counter, a value of the result of the binary operation transmitted at every binary counting operation of clock signals for the upward operation or the downward operation, which is a value of the result of the binary operation transmitted at every shifting operation when a binary data signal is shifted to right or left in a case of the shift register, and which is a value of the result of another binary operation obtainable by code-converting the value of the result of the binary operation transmitted from the counter or the shift register in a case of the decoder.
As the clock signals for operating the aforesaid logic IC or the like and signals for changing the operations (for example, changing the count increasing operation to the decreasing operation), the specific frequencies A to N are always transmitted from the corresponding OSC 50a to 50n to the IC or the like of the pattern circuit 49. As a result of the constitution thus arranged, the pattern circuit 49 attempts to generate the pattern in accordance with the difference between the frequency outputs from the OSC 50a to 50n and to transmit the pattern to the signal output points OUTa to OUTn. However, since, the IC or the like of the pattern circuit 49 has functions of enabling the operation to be performed and cancelling the reset and includes terminals (for example, an output enable terminal or a terminal capable of cancelling the reset) for controlling these function, the output of the pattern to the signal output points OUTa to OUTn is commenced when a proper logic signal is supplied to the above-mentioned terminal, for example, the reset cancelling terminal, so that the devices 48a to 48n (a plurality of light emitting members such as LEDs) are operated. The pattern generating block P has an arrangement capable of solely operating the devices to be operated in accordance with the pattern when a proper logic signal is supplied to the above-mentioned control terminal thereof.
By bringing the pattern generating block P into an initial state where the resetting is continued in a normal condition in the above-mentioned operation state while using the reset cancelling terminal as the control terminal and supplying the ON signal which is a signal to be transmitted from the aforesaid signal processing block S to the signal output point OUT and which is formed in accordance with the holding time of the constant time holding circuit 46 to perform the control, the aforesaid reset continuation state is cancelled. Therefore, the devices to be operated can be operated while having the pattern during the period in which the ON signal is supplied. Furthermore, the initial state is then restored if the supply of the ON signal is stopped.
With the improved-type conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 14, in a short time of the observation, the state where the light emitting members such as LEDs flash can be sometimes seen for persons as if each light emitting member randomly flashes in synchronization with the sound of music due to illusion. However, if the state of flashing or the like is observed for a somewhat long time, it can be apparently recognized that the flashing timing does not coincide with the sound of music because the structure is constituted basing upon the above-mentioned conventional apparatus. Therefore, the problem of the monotonous operation cannot be overcome. Furthermore, the number of elements required to constitute the apparatus increases as compared with the basic conventional apparatus, causing a problem to arise in that the cost cannot be reduced. What is worse, a wide space must be used to constitute the circuit, causing another problem to arise in that the size of the apparatus cannot be easily reduced. The reaction type conventional apparatus is typically summarized as described above.
On the other hand, there has been an apparatus among the synchronization type conventional apparatuses that is constituted by simplifying a complicated and high price conventional apparatus for use in a discotheque so as to be easily privately used. The apparatus of the aforesaid type is so arranged that light emitting members such as lights are flashed in synchronization with the sound of music in accordance with information about the frequency component included in the sound of music.
FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram which illustrates the synchronization-type conventional apparatus so arranged that the light emitting members such as lights are flashed in accordance with information about the frequency component included in the sound of music. Referring to FIG. 15, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 represent the same functional blocks. Referring to FIG. 15, reference numeral 60L represents a low-pass filter, 61 represents a voltage comparison circuit and 62 represents a determined reference voltage serving as a reference for use in the voltage comparison circuit 61. The aforesaid elements constitute a functional block for channels corresponding to the low frequency levels of the sound. Reference numeral 60B represents a band-pass filter, 60B' represents another band-pass filter arranged to have the same structure as that of the band-pass filter 60B but arranged to act with respect to a different frequency band. Reference numeral 60H represents a high-pass filter. Each of the aforesaid filters has, in the rear portion thereof, the same functional block as that of the aforesaid block and a block for flashing a light emitting member such as a light which corresponds to each frequency. Range Ch surrounded by a dashed line is a flashing function block Ch having the band-pass filter 60B so as to function to flash the light in response to the medium or low frequency of the sound of music. Symbol OUTz represents a signal output point of the aforesaid block Ch.
When the surrounding sound of music is transmitted to the pickup circuit 41 having a microphone MC of the functional block shown in FIG. 15, the sound thus transmitted is converted into a weak signal. The weak signal is transmitted to the low-pass filter 60L, the bandpass filters 60B and 60B' arranged to pass different bands and the high-pass filter 60H so as to be classified into frequency bands set to the corresponding filters. Since the weak signal has been damped by the AC resistor components L, C and R which are the components of the aforesaid filters as the compared with the level at the time of the transmission, the weak signal is amplified at a relatively high amplification ratio by each of the amplifier circuits 42 respectively subsequently connected to the filters 60L, 60B, 60B' and 60H. The output from each of the amplifier circuits 42 is passed through each wave detecting circuit 43 so as to be converted into a DC component, and then it is converted into a DC voltage level by each of the subsequent time constant circuits 44.
The level of the output voltage from each of the time constant circuits 44 is raised as the frequency of the transmitted weak signal approaches the central frequency of each of the filters 60L, 60B, 60B' and 60H set by the filters disposed before two stages. That is, if there is a frequency, which is near the central frequency of each of the aforesaid filters, in all of the frequency components contained in the music, the output voltage from the time constant circuit 44 is raised.
The output voltage from each of the time constant circuit 44 is supplied to each of the subsequent voltage comparison circuit 61 so as to be subjected to a comparison with the determined reference voltage 62. If the level of the output voltage is higher than the level of the reference voltage, the corresponding output circuit 45 is actuated so that the corresponding device 48 to be operated such as the light is operated.
Therefore, the synchronization type conventional apparatus is arranged to flash the devices 48 such as lights to be operated in accordance with the determined central frequency of each of the filters set to the frequency band of the sound of music such as drums or vocal. Since the filter employed in an apparatus of the aforesaid type has a characteristic of about -6 dB/oct in a case of a general type filter, the range can be set, at the very finest, to a degree obtainable by dividing the audible frequency range (about 20 Hz t 20 KHz) for a human being into three sections (the number of the sections is the same as the number of lights or light groups to be flashed) if there is a requirement that the lights can be reliably flashed. Therefore, the state of flashing of the lights caused by the overall actions of, for example, the four channels shown in FIG. 15 become somewhat satisfactory in terms of the synchronization with the sound of music but the realized sound is unsatisfactory in terms of the modulation.
However, if the state of the output made at the signal output point OUTz of the synchronization type conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 15 and that made at the signal output point OUT of the conventional response type apparatus shown in FIG. 13 are subjected to a comparison while limitedly observing one channel of a block Ch acting to flash the light by means of the band-pass filter 60B in response to the medium or low frequency band of the sound of music, the signal output point OUTz in the circuit structure of the block Ch limited to one channel in the synchronization type conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 15 displays superior response. Furthermore, an excellent output while exhibiting modulations can be obtained because the operation is performed in synchronization with the sound of music.
Therefore, the unsatisfactory operation of the conventional response type apparatus can be overcome by substituting the circuit of the basic response type conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 13 or that of another response type conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 14 by the block Ch shown in FIG. 15. However, the filter circuit, the voltage comparison circuit and the circuit for use in a portion for setting the reference voltage must be additionally provided. Therefore, the number of required elements is substantially doubled, causing the problem of the difficulty of reducing the cost and necessity of providing a space for accommodating required elements to become more critical as compared with the conventional response type apparatus. Therefore, the size reduction becomes more difficult to be realized. As a result, the apparatus of the aforesaid type cannot be employed in a toy or the like.
A synchronization type conventional apparatus capable of overcoming the problems experienced with the aforesaid conventional apparatuses, decreasing the number of required elements and reducing the cost has been disclosed. That is, the inventor of the present invention has disclosed an invention titled as "DECORATIVE LIGHT HAVING PLL CIRCUIT AND EMITTING LIGHT IN SYNCHRONIZATION WITH MUSIC" (Japanese Patent Application No. 3-278685). Similarly to the conventional apparatus which has been improved as described above, the above-mentioned apparatus is able to perform the operation more satisfactorily as compared with the conventional apparatus because of an arrangement made that limiting to one channel of a multiplicity of channels (the block for turning on a light) is made.
However, the conventional apparatus employing a portion of the apparatus which utilizes the PLL circuit for the purpose of making an improvement encounters a practical problem taken place in that the capacity of a capacitor or the like is inevitably enlarged and therefore the overall size becomes enlarged because of the necessity lying in constituting the circuit even if an IC exclusive element is used to constitute the required amplifier circuit. On the other hand, the conventional apparatus having no PLL circuit arises a problem in that the cost and the size cannot be reduced due to the aforesaid problems and the practical problem which takes place when the abovementioned amplifier circuit is used.